Sarah C.
4-1-06
Well, I got my referral for the surgeon yesterday! I am so excited!! I called to make the appt. but they had already closed for the day. :( So I have to wait until Monday. I am a little nervous because the surgeon listed I can't find on this site. I think I would feel a little more comfortable if I knew someone else had used him. His name is Dr. Z Tahir. I will let you all know what happens on Monday.
4-3-06
So I called to make an appointment with the surgeon that my Dr. gave me, and he doesn't even do the wls!! So, I had to call the Dr.s office and leace a message with the referral dept. to get them to change to a new Dr. that actually does the surgery! Pardon my frustrated. You'd think that my Dr. would know who does and does not do the wls's! Well, I will keep you all posted, and I hope this doesn't take very long.
4-5-06
Well, I just got word that my husbands new insurance from work started as of 4-1-06, so I called to see if they cover the surgery, and they said yes, if you meet all the criteria, which I do. And I don't have to get a referral or anything so all I have to do is call and make tha appt. So I called the Barix Clinic today and they said I have to go to their seminar on 4-12-06, which is fine. Then today I got a letter in the mail saying that I do not qualify at this time for the surgery!!! I have a BMI of 50.1, I am on the verge of becoming diabetic, my body hurts ALL the time. How could they say I don't qualify?! So I have called like 4 times and left messages with everyone. I hope someone gets back to me, cuz I am still going to that seminar just in case! Sorry for the vent, but I'm a little confused. Oh, my new insurance is United Health Care, which I hear is pretty good!
4-05-06
Well, I guess the Barix Clinic does not take my ins., so I called Dr. Fangs office, they take UHC. YAY!! SO I got my seminar scheduled for the 13th and I meet with Dr. Fang on May 1st. It almost doesn't seem real! I am so totally excited right now! Well I will let you all know how things go. And thanks for all the great respones that I have been getting on this website, it has been a great help to me.
4-17-06
So I went for my psych consult today. I was so worried that she wouldn't find me fit to get this wls done, but she said that I would be a great candidate. I was so very pleased! I took the test, and I was expecting like 500 questions or something, but it only had 165, very easy, and they were really the same questions jusr reworded. I meet with my surgeon Dr. Fang on May 1st, and hopefully all will be ready to submit to insurance and then the waiting begins! I have already requested all my files from ALL the Dr.s that I have been to for the last 5 years, had my psych consult and am wondering if I should go ahead and start my labs! As you can see, I am very ready for this surgery, atleast I think I am ready. Oh, I also went to my first seminar and have 3 more that I have to do post-op, and I am taking 2 of them on Tuesday night and the 3rd one on May 18th. Well, I will keep everyone posted.
5-1-06
Well, I met with Dr. Fang today, and I must say I really like him. I brought in a list of about 20 questions, and he let me ask ALL of them, and answered all of them for me. He sounded like he really knew what he was talking about, and I feel that much more comfortable with my choice of having this WLS! He said that they will check all my records and let me know if they need any further info, if not they will submit it to insurance and I just wait!! I totally am praying that I will get this approved! I will keep you all posted, and hopefully it won't be long!
5-18-06
Well I called Dr. Fang's office yeserday, and they told me that they just finished my paperwork and would have it in the mail to my insurance no later then Friday, and that I should here something within the next 2 weeks!! I am sooo excited, I just wish time would fly by now. I have been keeping a food journal, harder then I thought it would be! I have finished all of the required seminars through my Dr's hospital, now I just wait..... I can't stand waiting!
5-27-06
Well, I called insurance yesterday, actually the 3rd time since Dr. Fang submitted paperwork LOL, anyway, te insurance lady asked if my date was the 16th of June, and I told her that I have not yet recieved a date! Well she said that on the paperwork it has the date of the 16th!!! She told me to call back around the 8th, because they were still looking at my paperwork, but it looks pretty promising!! I am sooo happy right now, it almost doesn't seem real yet. I also don't want to get otexcited just incase they change the date, but I am praying that they don't!! YAY ME!!! I can't wait to get started on my new and improved healthy life. I also read somewhere that people that exercise regularly before having surgery of any kind have less complications and recover faster so I have started to use my Gazelle in the morning and walking with the fam in the evening!! It is not much yet, but atleast I am moving!!
6-2-06
Well I got a call from Colene today and she said I got APPROVED!!! Oh my gosh, I am sooo excited! I can't believe that this is really happening to me! I don't feel nervous at all, just very happy and anxious to get this surery started! Colene asked if I had any other questions, and I said ya, do you have a cancelation list?! She laughed and said that people don't usually cancel. She said my tentative date could be the 16th, but not to count on it, and she thinks they may be scheduling for July! So I guess I have to be patient.
6-13-06
Well, I am still waiting for a date!! I am getting a little frustrated. I have called Dr. Fangs office and left 3 messages with Diana, she is the scheduler, and she hasn't called me back at all!! I don't want to be a bug, but I so want to get on with this already. I have waited so long for this, and it is right in front of me, but I just can't grab it! UUUGGGGGGHHH!! I will just have to keep waiting!!
6-22-06
Well, I got my date!! It is July 13th at 9:30 am!! I have to be there at 7:30, and I have to call and still schedule all my pre-op stuff!! I am so excited I can hardly see straight! I am feeling a tad anxious though now that I actually have a date, and see the end of my obese life!
7-05-06
Wow, it has been a while since I have updated! I just learned how to spruce up my profile, hope you enjoy it!
Anyway, I have only 8 more days left until surgery, and I am actually very calm about the whole thing! I don't feel as nervous as I thought I would. I have all of my pre-op stuff tomorrow! I have to be there at 7:00am for an appointment at 8:00, and they said to expect to be there for at least 41/2 to 5 hours! Long day of testing. Then I meet with my dietician next Tuesday for 41/2 hours then my surgery on Thursday!! I actually can't wait, I know that sounds weird, but I just want to get on with my healthier and happier life! I am totally supported by my family and friends and I just feel like now is the time for me!
I went to my first support group on the 27th, and I really enjoyed it. All the people there were very friendly and made me feel comfortable, and I really had a good time! I do look forward to going to more, and making alot of new friends! Have a great day!
7-06-06
So I did all my pre-op stuff today, not to bad. The barium drink was pretty bad, and it was hard not to let that burp come up! (If you burp, you have to redrink the whole thing! UGGHH) Anyway, I only have 7 more days and I am so excited. I get to meet with the "team" on Tuesday for 41/2 hours and I am actually looking forward to that! I want to be a loser!!
7-12-06
Well tomorrow is the big day! I am so excited to get this journey started. I have waited for a long time to get this done, and it is finally here! I don't really feel very nervous, or scared, just kind of anxious. I have complete faith in my surgeon and I am sure I will do fine! :) I am just so thankful that I found this site, it has helped me in so many ways, sometimes I feel like I've already had the surgery! Well, I will keep everyone updated when I get home!
7-24-06
Well I made it through surgery!! I wasn't really all that nervous to begin with, I just wanted to be done with it all. My Dr. said it was a textbook surgery, everything went well.
I remember trying to wake up in the recovery room. LOL I was very out of it. I remember being in my room with my hubby and mom and they kept makeing me blow into my sperometer (sp) and I was getting very annoyed with that, and bou did it hurt to have to try and inhale and blow out!! OUCH!! But , it did get better and I got to be off of the oxygen by Friday afternoon. So that was good. Some of our nurses (I shared a room with a great lady named Jenny, and she had her surgery just before me!) were really good and very attentive, but others were not so good!
On Friday afternoon, I stopped being able to urinate, and I didn't even feel the urge to need to geo either. So on Saturday I mentioned that I hadn't gone since Friday and the nurse asked when and I told her since about 5:00. So of course they had to straight cath me and I almost filled the bag and she called the Dr. and they started me on some meds that would "kick start" my bladder again. Well, by Saturday afternoon I still ahdn't gone, so she had to straight cath me AGAIN!! They decided to up the dose of my meds. Meanwhile I started to get KILLER "gas" pains in my stomach. I told the nurses and they all said just walk, walk, walk, it is just gas. And just to let you all know, I was walking about every 2 hours and them some! These cramps were killing me, I mean I would be in so much pain, not even the lortab was touhing them. I finally got a nurse to give me some Maylox, and that helped for like 2 1/2 hours, then they would come back, and I could only take the Maylox every 4 hours! I was up and walking every hour cuz the only time I wouldn't get these pains was when I was walking.
Well I did finally urinate at 10:00 p.m., and was very excited! Pains continued through the night, so I was up at 12:00, 3:00, and 6:00 a.m. walking. I did urinate again on Sunday morning, and the Dr. came in and said I could go home. I then told him about the HORRIBLE pains and he said "Ya, the meds can cause abdominal cramping!!" I was so angry that he had not told anyone!! I was beginning to think that something was wrong!! Well, I got ready and finally left the hospital at 12:30, and was so glad to be home!!
Since then I have urinated just fine and I'm doing pretty good. I still don't "feel" hungry and I am haveing a hard time getting in those protein drinks!! My water is fine, and I try to get soup pudding ect.. in, but I just don't feel like eating! I need to get better with the protien, that is for sure. And it is harder then I thought to sit and watch everyone around me eat normal food! I take ALOT of walks to help me out with that, but sometimes it is really hard! I just have to remember why I did it, and that usually makes me feel a little better. But I am glad I did this, and I would definately do it again! Well, I hope you have a great day and enjoy reading my journal of my journey!!
8-18-06
Well, I haven't updated in a while, so I thought it would be a good time! I have recovered quite well, no problems, other then the taste of plain water makes me feel kind of sick, which kinda sucks cuz I love water!! I have lost 26 lbs, and am now 5 weeks out!! I am VERY sad with the weight loss, I feel like I am doing something wrong. I feel like I should have lost more than that compared to the amount of food that I can eat! Does that make sense?! I have lost some good inches, so I guess that is my saving grace. Here is a list of inches I have lost in the last month!
NECK~~1 1/4 inches
UPPER ARM~~1/4 inch
WAIST~~6 3/4 inches
HIPS~~4 1/2 inches
UPPER THIGH~~1 1/2 inches
CALF~~1/2 inch
CHEST~~3 inches :(
Are those pretty good for a month? I don't know, I just hope that I can start seeing the scale move again. I know that I don't get all of my water in, and am wondering if that has something to do with it!! I still would have done this surgery, just wish I could be one that loses weight faster!! Maybe I won't have as much excess skin since I am a slow loser LOL, who knows. Talk with you later, and good luck to anyone who reads my profile, don't give up!! :)
9-22-06
Well, it has been a while since I last updated. I am now down 43 lbs and I'm doing pretty good on inches. I have fit into a size 26 pants and a size 22/24 shirts. That feels pretty good. I still feel like the weight loss is slow for some reason! I know I have done well, and when have I ever lost this much weight in 2 1/2 months, I get it, but with the amount of food I can eat (which isn't much) it just seems like I should have lost more! Sorry I'm dragging on and on.
I feel good, my lower back doesn't hurt anymore, I can walk for long periods of time and not be so totally sore! I enjoy all the compliments I am getting from people that don't get to see me very often. Over all, I feel pretty great and I am so glad that I had this surgery and would definately do this again!! My mom is still thinking about doing it, and I think it would be a great thing for her as well. Until next time....
